Compassionate Community Grant

Grant Awardees

Congratulations to the recipients whose innovative programs will develop compassionate communities. We look forward to their impact on the future of osteopathic medical education!

DO Good Hour: Cultivating Compassionate Connections for Student and Community Wellness

Research Question: How can accessible, service-integrated wellness initiatives foster interprofessional collaboration among osteopathic medical students, while cultivating empathy, advancing professional identity formation, and building enduring community partnerships?

• Primary Investigator:
  Asia Hudson, MA
  Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-WCOM)

A Family Wellness & Belonging Series: A Partnership Between Local Community Schools and Osteopathic Medical Students

Research Question: Does a medical school and school district collaboration facilitate a synergistic partnership where osteopathic students facilitate meaningful service-learning workshops and families benefit from attending, where healthy living is taught through an interactive session and shared meal?

• Primary Investigator:
  Grace Marie Jones, PhD
  Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – California (TUCOM-CA)
   
• Co-Investigators:
  Traci Stevenson, DO, TUCOM-CA
  Cherita Dilley, BS, Vallejo Unified School District

Bringing GIFTS to the Community: Strengthening Geriatric Care through Interprofessional Student Service and Community Partnerships in a Rural Community

Research Question: What is the impact of the GIFTS (Geriatric Interprofessional Foundations Training and Service) Program on osteopathic medical students’ empathy, interprofessional collaboration skills, and perceived professional growth after participation in a structured service-learning experience with underserved older adults across the continuum of geriatric and end-of-life care?

• Primary Investigator:
  Christine Khandelwal, DO
  Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM)

• Co-Investigators:
  Pamela Edwards, EdD, RN, CUSOM
  Carmellia Web, MSW, MA, BSW, CUSOM
  Laura Gerstner, DHSc, PA-C, CUSOM

Whole-Person Care: Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Clerkship as a Model for Compassionate Care Training in UME

Research Question: Following participation in a chaplaincy and spiritual care elective clerkship, does the deployment of verbatims exercises function as effective assessment measures for evaluating osteopathic medical students’ achievement of two spiritual care competencies: presence and spiritual assessment, as well as an increase in overall compassion and empathy for patients?

• Primary Investigator:
  Mark Lambert, PhD
  Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM)

• Co-Investigators:
  Lisa Streyffeler, PhD, DMU-COM
  Julia Van Liew, PhD, DMU-COM
  Leslie Wimsatt, PhD, DMU-COM

Integrating Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) into First-Year Medical Education to Foster Compassionate and Empathetic Patient Care

Research Question: Does having a Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) trained faculty and incorporating principles of TBRI into first-year medical education enhance empathy, relational skills, and trauma-informed care in medical students?

• Primary Investigator:
  Amanda Mendez, APRN, MSN, FNP-C
  UNT Health Fort Worth’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNT Health Fort Worth – TCOM) 

Expanding Community Access Through a Student-Run Clinic in Southern Utah

Research Question: How does implementing a student-run clinic on alternating Thursday evenings impact medical student development and access to care for underserved populations in Southern Utah?

• Primary Investigators:
  Jeremy Sporrong, DO
  Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Southern Utah (RVUCOM-Southern Utah)

• Co-Investigators:
  Aarthi Muthukumar, BA, RVUCOM-Southern Utah
  Krish Parikh, BS, RVUCOM-Southern Utah

Cultivating Compassion Through Movement: A Community Based Qigong Research and Service Learning Initiative

Research Question: Does participation in a 12-week Qigong class improve balance and enhance emotional well-being and outlook on life in senior residents of St. John’s United in Billings, Montana?

• Primary Investigator:
  Carol Penn, DO
  Rocky Vista University Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM MCOM) 

Compassion-Focused Storytelling to Strengthen Connections with Peers and Patients

Research Question: How can participation in compassion-focused storytelling increase osteopathic medical students’ ability to reflect on their own practice and their overall level of compassion?

• Primary Investigator:
  Lisa Streyffeler, PhD
  Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM)
   
• Co-Investigators:
  Leslie Wimsatt, PhD, DMU-COM
  Julia Van Liew, PhD, DMU-COM
  Mark Lambert, PhD, DMU-COM
  Autumn Brunia, DO, DMU-COM

Community as Classroom: Empowering Compassionate Future Physicians through Engagement in Service Learning

Research Question: How can an osteopathic medical school implement a partnership with its local public health department to provide meaningful, curriculum-integrated service-learning experiences that enhance preclinical students’ understanding of health disparities and social determinants of health, while advancing local public health goals?

• Primary Investigator:
  Julia Van Liew, PhD
  Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM)
   
• Co-Investigators:
  Lisa Streyffeler, PhD. DMU-COM
  Mark Lambert, PhD, DMU-COM
  Autumn Brunia, DO, DMU-COM

The W.H.O.L.E. Student Doctor Advising Model: Cultivating Compassion, Connection, and Belonging in Osteopathic Medical Training

Research Question: How does a structured, compassion-centered advising program support the development of empathy, compassion, professional identity, and sense of belonging among osteopathic medical students across their four years of training?

• Primary Investigator:
  Yuan Zhao, PhD
  Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM)
   
• Co-Investigator:
  Gergana Deevska, PhD, SHSU-COM